Molin Guilty of Murder in the Second Degree

SNOW HILL, Md. - A Worcester County jury acquitted Darby's Steve Molin of first degree murder in the death of his 85-year old mother, but found him guilty of second degree homicide, which carries a possible prison term of 30 years.

After the verdict was read, and as Judge Thomas Groton III was ordering a pre-sentence psychological evaluation of the defendent, Molin abruptly stood up and asked to address the court.

"I would like to give a 10 minute speech," he announced.

The judge told him that it wouldn't be a appropriate at this time.

"I would like to read a poem to the court," Molin persisted.

His attorney finally convinced him to sit down. Groton told Molin he would be able to make statment at a later date before sentencing.

State Attorney Beau Oglesby, the prosecutor in the case, announced himself satisfied that justice had been done.

"While I don't necessarily agree with the verdict, I respect this verdict," said States Attorney Beau Oglesby.

"We thought First Degree was very appropriate in this case... (but) I respect the jury's decision and I certainly think justice was done.

Defense Attorney Burton Anderson declined comment.

Harry Collinson, a friend of Molin's came down from his home in Aston, Pa. to testify on Molin's behalf. For months, Collinson said he believed Molin was innocent off all the charges against him. But after hearing a summation of the evidence against him this morning, he had his doubts.

He called the prosecution's case against his friend, "compelling."

"I think the jury made a decison based on the facts presented," Collinson said. "I can undertand their decision even though I disagree with it."

Molin claimed that on the night of Aug 31, 2010, his mother fell out of his truck as they made they were making their way back to Pennsylvania from an unscheduled trip to visit his father's gravesite.

He told police officers that after he noticed his mother had disappeared, he backed up the truck and accidentally ran her over.

Forensic evidence at the scene and the injuries to Mrs. Molin led police to believe that accident couldn't have happened the way Molin said it did.

Further information, indicating that Molin had lost custody of his mother to a court-appointed guardian a year earlier, and that he was upset and depressed about the prospect of losing his home, led investigators to suspect foul play.

In court, Oglesby said Molin explanation for what happened that night "defies physics, science, medicine" And "common sense."

The defense had no answer to all forensic and medical evidence produced by the state.

After his conviction, on his way out of the courtroom, Molin looked back at a reporter and said what he's been saying all along.

"I'm innocent. It was an accident."

As the jurors filed, out one of them - a blonde woman carrying a container of food - wept.